Improvement in clamps foe holding pickets



@atten gisten atwt @Affina Letters Patent No. 76,644, dated April 14, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN GLAMPS FOR HOLDING PIGKETS.

Gilze ttehnle numb tu in tlgtn tttters stent mit mtkitg'ptrt nf lIla same.

TG ALL WHOM I T MAY C ONOERN:

Be it known rthat I, PETERhIcCARTHY, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and improved Clamp for Dressing Fence-Pickets; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

Figure lis a perspective view of my improved clamp.

Figure 2,A a vertical cross-section of the same.

Figures 3 and 4, views ofdiiferentforms of pickets.

Like letters of reference' indicate corresponding parts in all the iigures. V

My invention consists in a clamp, adapted to receive the pickets in a compact row, and retain them-firmly and uniformly in place while being dressed, constructed, arranged, and operating as hereinafter set forth.

As represented in the drawings, A is the bed o r back of the clam`p,vcompose`d of top and bottom timbers a a, and cross-pieces b b. To the opposite ends of thertimbers are connected head-blocks B B B B', preferably made of iron, and having bends, forming hooks e c. The sides and ends of the blocks B have screws, @Z d', or equivalent, pressing inward longitudinally and laterally, as clearly shown in hg. 1.

Clamp-bars D D,-at the top -and'bottom, rest inside the hooks c c, against the pickets, as indicated. These bars are, preferably, made of greater thickness in themiddle thanat the ends, to insure strength, and they are also, preferably, made somewhat bowing or swelling inward in their natural form, sothat when they are pressed against the pickets they will bear equally inthe middle.

The clamp is placed upright, and the pickets E E are placed in succession, closely together, against the bed A, till the clamp is lled. The clamp-bars D D :are then applied, andthe'screws d d', or equivalent, are turned up, thereby clamping thel pickets closely in plac'e. In this condition, the shave, plane, or other instrument is applied, to dress the tops of the pickets to the proper form.

Several very important advantages are attained by the employment of this device. Much labor is saved b dressin a lar e number of ickets in one bod rather than dressin them sin l as in the ordinar man- 5 g g P y g g Y y ner, and when dressed, they are exactly alike in form. and projection.A 4If dressed singly, uniformity cannot be preserved. Enough pickets canbe placed'in the clamp at once to make one or more entire sections or panels of fence, in which case the uniformity is'still greater than would beit' only afew were dressed at once, to form part of a panel. l

The construction ofthe clamp is such las not only to insure regularity and uniformity in the pickets, but also to facilitate their insertion and removal. The bed A, being level, holds the pickets perfectly in line. The clamp-bars D retain them fast in place, and allow ,afree insertion and removal, and the screws hold compactly in both directions. l 4

It will be seen that pickets of all forms can be dressed in this device. `In fig. 1, the pointed form is shown; in tig. 3, the square form; and in iig. 4, the rounded form.

What I claim as my invention, and` desire to secure by Letters Patent, isv The headf'blocks B and B', when constructed with projections c, "and arrangcd'in relation to a. clamp, substantially in the manner and forl the purpose described. v

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed-my naine in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PETER McCARTHY.

Witnesses:

R. F.' Oscoop, WM. J. SnEnInAN. 

